


Haru in Sakuraland

by Scythey



Category: Free!
Genre: Lucid Dreaming, M/M, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 03:43:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3835708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scythey/pseuds/Scythey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not quite down a rabbit hole, not quite the growing/shrinking experience, but Haru ventures forward into Sakuraland.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Haru in Sakuraland

Haru was always able to lucid dream. Even as a child, he could tell when even the most mundane sequence was just a dream mimicking his life. "Maybe's it's your mind making up for what feels like lost time in your life." Makoto said to him once. "Dreaming kind of lets you know what's in your subconscious."

Haru considered himself lucky for the ability; if he could do anything, dream or otherwise, it would be doing exactly this. Sitting in his bathtub with little plastic dolphin bobbing in front of him. Occasionally, Haru would forget that he was dreaming, but only in his dreams would there be sakura petals in the water.

Though recently, it had been this exact dream.

"Just looking forward to hanami season more than I thought." Haru decided nonchalantly, stirring the water and observing the petals chase the current.

Petals clumped around the little dolphin which looked absentmindedly into space. It was such a cute sight, like a child dawdling in a fancy inner tube, yet he felt so melancholy. All these beautiful petals, and it had no one but Haru to share them with.

Dolphins were freest with other dolphins, and Haru wished his little plastic companion could have another to enjoy the new adornment with. 

"It's just a dream. Back to a regular bathtub and it won't seem so sad."

He tipped his head back and breathed in. The air even smelled of cherry blossoms. Maybe he's really looking forward to viewing season.

The sound of the sliding bathroom door was new. Haru tipped his head towards the door, half expecting Makoto to walk in to pull him out. But  
no one was there. The door had opened just a crack, but it allowed more sakura petals to float in along with a nice breeze.

"You should step outside."

Haru whipped his head towards the dolphin. The little guy was no longer bobbing upright, but swimming around his pool, bumping petals along the way.

"Sounds tedious." He replied, sinking a little deeper into the water.

The dolphin swam rings around Haru's leg. "Maybe you ought to. Dreams are like leaks of your innermost thoughts or desires. It's got to be beyond the bathtub."

Haru sank even deeper and blew bubbles. The idea of leaving the tub wasn't entirely appealing. But if this dream had been recurring for at least a week, maybe he ought to listen to what his subconscious had to show him. It would be interesting to see what other things his mind could conjure up besides cherry blossom petals.

Placing his hands on the sides of the tub, he pushed himself out, relishing the sensation of his body sliding through the surface and leaving a waning coat over his body. He grabbed a towel and dried himself on his way out. With one hand drying his hair, he used the other to push the door behind which was no laundry room.

"Hi Haru." Makoto helped a cat down from the cherry tree in the middle of the garden that Haru opened his bathroom door to. The garden was a congregation of the stray cats he took care of around his house. They rolled around in the flower beds and made themselves at home in the tree, making Haru hope that they were as happy in his dream as they were in real life.

"Come on, get down now." Makoto said sweetly to a white cat that stubbornly settled high up on the tree. It swished it's tail assertively and refused to look in his direction. Haru watched Makoto struggle fruitlessly before stepping onto the grass and crossing over to him.

"I got it." He knew the white one since it was a kitten, and it never warmed up to anyone but him. Extending an arm out to it, the cat uncurled itself and climbed down into Haru's arms. It purred as it nestled itself back into a comfortable position, rubbing its head against his bicep as if it was a pillow.

"We gotta keep them off the tree. It's been ill for a while now, who knows how that'll effect the buds." Haru looked back at the tree, which budded a few cherry blossom bulbs as of yet. But he felt something scratch at his heart as he pondered the possibility of the tree's unsuccessful survival. It was the only tree in the garden, how dark this dream would be if a grey, wilted tree had to remain in the middle of it. 

"I'm sure it'll be fine, but I think you'd better get to the Plains to get a little help."

"Plains?" Haru repeated. He put the cat on the ground and it curled up at the base of the tree.

"Yeah! You found solutions to so many things there, you ought to find a little medicine."

Haru didn't inquire further. He figured it was probably a market or something. Maybe his mind had a thing for festivals or gypsy stories. But it didn't really matter. It's only a dream after all.

"I'll be back." He said walking out of the garden gate. A signpost with arrows pointed Plains in one direction.

"Oh, and Haru," Haru turned around. "please put a shirt on." Makoto held out a white button-down to him.

He took the shirt and ventured forward, ignoring Makoto's plea to button it up as he walked down the grey cobblestone road towards... a casino?


End file.
